Difference between revisions of "Newest Children's Non-Fiction Reviews"

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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=David Long and Nicholas Stevenson
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|isbn=1839948493
|title=Diary of a Time Traveller
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|title=A World of Dogs
|rating=3.5
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|author=Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=With the usual complaint that 'History is Boring!', Augustus slumps over his school desk – until his teacher, a certain Professor Tempo, comes to his aidShe gives him a notebook and yellow pencil and says he should imagine himself in a place in the past to see how interesting it actually could be.  And lo and behold he's there, seeing the world of the past's effect on the world of the present for his very own eyesHe ends up doing this more than a couple dozen times, filling the notebook with amazing sights he's seen and people he's stood alongside, from Mozart to Einstein, from Chaucer to Lincoln, and what we read is what he comes up with in this brisk and colourful volume.
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|summary=In the interests of full disclosure, I must tell you that I'm a sucker for dogs.  In nearly eight decades, I've never met one I didn't trust and I've loved most of them.  I wish I felt the same about human beings.  So, any book about dogs, I'm going to sit down and devourThen I'm going to go back and read it properly.  And so it was with ''A World of Dogs'', with ninety-six pages devoted entirely to my four-legged friendsAuthor Carlie Sorosiak found herself the accidental owner of an American Dingo - she's learned quite a lot about dogs since then.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806368</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Teal Triggs and Daniel Frost
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|isbn=1529507987
|title=The School of Art: Learn How To Make Great Art With 40 Simple Lessons
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|title=The Repair Shop Craft Book
 +
|author=Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Written with an interesting approach, this book treats the reader as a new art student to The School of ArtThe five professors of the school take the student through 40 different lessons, looking at a huge range of ideas right from how to draw a line, perspective and proportion, composition and aestheticsAimed probably at senior school children it could, however, also be used by older primary children who are particularly interested in art, and if you were working through the book with your child then a younger child could also try out some of the lesson ideas and suggestions.
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|summary=I love ''The Repair Shop''It's my go-to programme when I want to be cheered up.  After a hard day, there's nothing better than watching experts repair treasured items without ever mentioning what they're worth.  You see, the value is in what these possessions are worth to the people who own them and the memories they holdNo expense appears to be spared and the experts spend as much time and effort as is required to achieve the desired result.  Regular viewers know the experts and they're all brilliant at explaining what it is they're doing. But how did they start?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806112</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Adam Ford
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|isbn=024162343X
|title=Stars: A Family Guide to the Night Sky
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|title=Stolen History
 +
|author=Sathnam Sanghera
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=If an innovative book and a beautiful piece of art got together and had offspring, the result would probably look a lot like an Ivy Press publication. This publisher never ceases to impress and their books are the kind of ones that you keep to pass onto subsequent generations. With this in mind, I was excited to receive a lovely children's book called ''Stars: A Family Guide to the Night Sky'' for review, which invites families to ''explore the cosmos from your own backyard''. Would it live up to the standard of its predecessors? I was getting starry-eyed in anticipation...
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|summary=I was the bad company other people got into at school.  I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'.  Where was the proof?  In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to be there in the first placeLooking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem' politely.  I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402764</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Clive Gifford and Professor Anil Seth
 
|title=Brain Twisters: The Science of Thinking and Feeling
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Meet the brainWe all have one.  We all use it (and by 'it' I mean a heck of a lot more of it than the 10% of urban myth) every second of the day.  We engage with different parts of it for balance, catching a ball, memorising a list of moves in controlling a video game character, or understanding things ranging from written instruction to body language.  It's such a vital part of the body, taking up 20% of our glucose fuel intake as well as of oxygen, that understanding of it cannot come at too young an ageBut in this varied and complex book, looking at a varied and complex subject, I do wonder if the right approach has been taken at all times.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402047</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jenny Broom and Kristjana S Williams
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|author=Jeremy Dronfield and David Ziggy Greene
|title=The Wonder Garden: Wander through the world's wildest habitats and discover more than 80 amazing animals
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|title=Fritz and Kurt
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Is it any wonder that this book calls the outside world The Wonder Garden?  I know things in fiction books, on TV and in games can be fabulous, but can they compete – really – with what nature has presented?  You only need a gate through which to go, and a willingness to exploreThis book provides those gates – there they are, shining luxuriously on the cover of this jumbo-sized hardbackAnd in five easy-to-take steps, the rest of the book provides for that exploration, taking us down south in Amazonia, down below the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, and up – to deserts and mountains, via Germany's own Black Forest.  And the trip is nothing if not spectacular to look at.
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|summary=We start with the pair of brothers Fritz and Kurt, and their muckers, doing things any Jewish lad in 1930s Vienna would want to do – kicking things around the empty market place, helping the neighbours, being dutiful when it comes to the synagogue choir and at a vocational schoolKurt has to make sure the lamps are turned on at their very Orthodox neighbours' each Friday night – the Sabbath preventing them for using anything nearly as mechanical and workmanlike as a light switchBut this is the time just before the Austrian leader is going to cave to Hitler's will, and instead of having a national vote to keep the Nazis out, invite them in with open arms.  ''Kristallnacht'' happened in Vienna just as much as in Germany, as did all the round-ups of Jews.  These in their turn leave the younger Kurt at home with his mother and sisters anxious to hear word of an evacuation to Britain or the US, while Fritz and his father are, unknown initially to each other, packed off on the same train to Buchenwald and the stone quarry there.  And us wondering how the titular event for the adult variant of all this could come about…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806473</amazonuk>
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|isbn=024156574X
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Martin Haake and Georgia Cherry
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|isbn=1913750353
|title=City Atlas: Discover the world with 30 city maps
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|title=Britannica's Word of the Day
|rating=4
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|author=Patrick Kelly, Renee Kelly and Sue Macy
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=It's not every time I mention the feel of the book I'm reviewing, but this time it's worth a mention.  This volume has been lavishly presented in a roughened card cover, as opposed to the gloss of others in this format from this publisher, and so looks and feels like an old stamp catalogue. The title image is indeed a stamp, stuck on the centre of the cover.  And just as all stamps the world over are practically the same yet completely different in design, so are the world's cities.  The point of this book is to bring the common elements as well as the unique features of all the world's capitals to the fore, to show that while a city may be a city is a city, their constant variety is what makes each and every one worth a visitWith that being on the costly side, this is a decent enough substitute.
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|summary=''Britannica's Word of the Day'' has a sub-title: ''366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus'' which probably tells you all that you need to know about this brilliant book.   It starts on January 1st with ''Razzmatazz'', tells you how to pronounce it (''raz-muh-TAZ''), gives you a definition and then includes the word in a sentence so that you know how it should be used.  You also get an engaging and frequently amusing illustration tooI don't think I've ever encountered a word which uses the letter Z four times before!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806481</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
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|isbn=0711266204
|title=Dino Dinners
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|title=The Secret Life of Birds
|rating=3.5
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|author=Moira Butterfield and Vivian Mineker (illustrator)
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Ask most children if dinosaurs are cool and you will get an emphatic – Yes! The thought that giant looming monsters once roamed the Earth, fighting and eating eat one other, sounds exciting.  It is important to encourage this enthusiasm and there are loads of books that are full of dinosaur facts, but are there any full of dinosaur fun as well?
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|summary=I have recently discovered a great pleasure: I sit and watch the vast numbers of birds which visit our garden on a daily basis.  An hour can pass without my noticing. I've established which species feed from the ground, which pop to the feeders for a quick snatch of some food and who settles in for a good munch but I wish I was more knowledgeable.  It would have been wonderful if, as a child, I'd had access to a book such as ''The Secret Life of Birds''.  So – what is it?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806651</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Carron Brown and Bee Johnson
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|isbn=0192779230
|title= On the Construction Site
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|title=Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: The Invisible World of Germs
|rating= 4
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|author=Isabel Thomas
|genre= Children's Non-Fiction
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|rating=5
|summary= Building buildings in the topic of this interactive book that shows construction from plans to completion. For the right little boy (or girl) it will no doubt be a hit.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402691</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=The Self-Esteem Team
 
|title=The Self-Esteem Team's Guide to Sex, Drugs and WTFs?!!
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre=Teens
 
|summary= Did you know that there are (on average) three children in every British classroom who are self-harming? Or that 48% of teenage girls avoid everyday school activities because of a lack of body confidence?
 
 
 
Shocking, isn't it?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1784186422</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Steve Backshall
 
|title=Favourite Deadly Facts
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Many people have wondered what limbo must feel likeI for one think it will be like being trapped on a long car journey with an enthusiastic child clasping a bumper book of factsThere is nothing quite like a book about how long, how short or how wide something is to put a certain type of child in cloverThis type of book should come with a warning sticker on the front as any nearby adult is going to get their ear talked off, especially if it is a bumper fact book.
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|summary='Germs' seems to have become a catch-all word to cover anything unpleasant which has the potential to make you illIn the first book in what looks to be a very promising new series, OUP and Isabel Thomas have provided a clear and accessible introduction to the world of germsWe get an informed look at how people originally thought about diseases and what they thought caused them and how the thinking has developed over timeThe vocabulary can be confusing but Thomas gives a regular box headed 'speak like a scientist' which explains some of the trickiest concepts and you'll soon be familiar with bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses – and how we should protect ourselves.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444015397</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
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|isbn=1800464495
|title=Woolly Mammoth
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|title= 100 Ways in 100 Days to Teach Your Baby Maths: Support All Areas of Your Baby’s Development by Nurturing a Love of Maths
 +
|author=Emma Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=The Ice Age is a fascinating time, but do you think that dinosaurs still roamed the Earth alongside both man and mammoths?  Ray Harryhausen has a lot to answer for and the earlier that someone learns that man and dinosaurs did not walk the land together, the better. Plus everyone knows that Woolly Mammoths are almost as cool as T-Rex – who doesn't love a hairy elephant?
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|summary=''Babies seem to be born with an amazing number sense: understanding shapes in the womb, being aware of quantities at seven hours old, assessing probability at six months old, and comprehending addition and subtraction at nine months old.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806643</amazonuk>
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}}
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Did you know this? I didn't! How about:
{{newreview
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|author=Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
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''Maths ability on entry to school is a strong predictor of later achievement, double that of literacy skills.''
|title=A Horrid Factbook: Crazy Creatures
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|rating=3.5
+
I didn't know this either! I think most parents are aware that giving your children a good start in literacy - reading stories, teaching pen grips, singing rhymes - gives children a solid foundation when they start school. But do we think the same way about maths, beyond counting? I don't think we do, in part because so many of us are afraid of maths. But why are we? Most of us use maths in daily life without realising and it follows that giving our children a similar pre-school grounding will be just as beneficial.
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
+
}}
|summary=The perceived wisdom is that it is harder to get young boys to read than it is young girls, but you try telling that to my nephews. They often have their heads so far in a book that their nose sticks out the other end.  However, whilst one loves fiction, the other loves fact. If you think about it, you could use an extremely popular fiction character to tell children some real facts and trick them; but that would be a horrible thing to do.
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{{Frontpage
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444014447</amazonuk>
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|isbn=1406395404
}}
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|title=The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Super-Charges Your Teenage Brain
{{newreview
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|author=Nicola Morgan
|author=Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
+
|rating=5
|title=William Shakespeare: Scenes from the life of the world’s greatest writer
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|genre=Teens
|rating=4.5
+
|summary=2020 has been a strange year: I doubt anyone would argue with that statement.  Lots of our routines have been completely dismantled and for some teenagers this will have brought about sleep problemsSome teens will dismiss this as irrelevant ('who needs sleep? - I've got loads to be doing) and others will worry unnecessarilyMost people, from children to adults will have the odd bad night but worrying about your lack of sleep is only likely to make it worseAnd there's also the fact that for far too long, lack of sleep has been lauded as a virtue and sleep made to seem like lazinessBeing up early, working late has been praised and the ability to survive on little sleep has almost become something to put on your CV.
|genre= Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary= Sumptuously and appealingly illustrated, this imaginative and innovative approach to the life of William Shakespeare uses quirky comic strip style speech bubbles while also paying tribute to some of his most famous plays. Occasionally losing focus in the order of scenes from his life, which is why it’s not quite a 5 star review, it is still an entertaining and insightful introduction to the bard of Stratford upon Avon. This book includes maps, a bibliography, a glossary and quotations from the bard’s plays.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847803458</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sara Starbuck
 
|title= Born Free Lion Rescue: The True Story of Bella and Simba
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Bella was not supposed to be worked as a youngster as a model for holidaymakers' photos on the Black Sea Coast, but that probably happened before she ended up in a poor Romanian zoo, blind in one eye and losing the sight in the otherSimba was not supposed to be shaking his magnificent maned figure about a circus cage in southern France.  But she was, and he was, and things weren't rightLuckily, the zoo was too poor to operate, and people were already on hand to relocate the animals, and fortunately someone realised the circus was a no-starter as well, when it comes to keeping a fully-grown lion in captivityIn alternating chapters the two cats' tales eventually combine to one, in this great little read with a heart-warming message.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444015338</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Owen Davey
 
|title=Mad About Monkeys
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Of all the many millions of animals on our planet that deserve a large format hardback non-fiction book, I guess monkeys are one of the ideal places to startThey are, of course, our distant cousins, with the ancestor we have in common with them walking around our world within the past thirty million years.  They have a large range across the planet, they have over 250 variant species, and they have a lot of interesting facts and details regarding their social life, their diet, their diversity and their potential future – all of which makes this an interesting read whatever your species bias may be.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909263575</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Cath Senker and Melvyn Evans
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|isbn=1849767343
|title=Ancient Egypt in 30 Seconds: 30 Awesome Topics for Pharaoh Fanatics Explained in Half a Minute (Children's 30 Second)
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|title=Count on Me
|rating=4
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|author=Miguel Tanco
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Egypt.  It's up there with dinosaurs, space travel and not much else that can hold a young child throughout the length of their school career.  Considering a lot of them will grow up declaring they have no interest in, or even a hatred for, history, it all was relevant a long, long time ago – and with Carter's finding of King Tut's tomb closing in on its centenary it won't go away yet.  There are indeed books that solely concern themselves with the history of our love affair with Egypt.  But I guess it does boil down to it being introduced by a fine teacher.  Whether this latest book will supplant the human in giving us all the lessons we need remains to be seen.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402373</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreviewplain
 
|title=National Geographic Kids Infopedia 2016
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Reference
 
|summary=Annuals. They are not what they used to be. As a child, I remember snuggling into a chair with my 1983 “Crackerjack” annual and being completely immersed by the facts, stories, jokes and activities inside. Maybe I'm getting old, but many of today's annuals seem to be little more than a few flimsy sheets of colouring paper and posters sandwiched inside a hard cover. If, as a parent, you are aching to buy your children something with a little more substance and quality, then the National Geographic Infopedia 2016 may be just what you are looking for.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1426322445</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Christopher Edge
 
|title=How to Write your Best Story Ever!
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Oh those feared words from my primary school days – just sit and write a story.  The countless hours I spent, sifting my mind for what little I knew and what I had read before, and no real guide on hand to what to put down on the page and howHow times change.  This volume, for all the vivid design and hyperbolic title, might have been the best companion to the budding author version of me, for it will easily sit alongside the junior scribbler wherever s/he may be from now on.  It has a beginning, middle and end (and index), and can be counted on for some great, no-nonsense advice.
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|summary=The title and format of this book might lead you to think that it's either about responsibility - or it's a basic 1-2-3 book for those just starting out on the numbers journeyIt isn't: it's a hymn of praise to maths.  It's about why maths is so wonderful and how you meet it in everyday life.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>019274352X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jen Green and Wesley Robins
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|isbn=1849767009
|title=Oceans in 30 Seconds
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|title=It Isn't Rude to be Nude
 +
|author=Rosie Haine
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Popular Science
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Oceans in 30 Seconds is the latest book in the innovative series from Ivy Press, which aims to give an informative and entertaining overview of a given subject in bite-sized chunks. Each given subject has its own two-page spread, with a concise description on the left, covering all of the main points, and a colourful illustration on the right hand page, complete with extra snippets of information. Each chapter also has a handy 3-second sum up, which further condenses the main idea of the chapter into a single sentence.
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|summary=This could have been one of those books which 'preaches to the choir': the only people who'll buy it are the people who know that nudity is OK and the ones who ''know'' that it's shameful will avoid it like they avoid the hot-and-bothered person in the supermarket who is coughing fit to bust.  But... Rosie Haines makes it into something so much more than a book about not wearing clothes. It's a celebration of bodies: bodies large and small and of every possible hue.  Bodies with disabilities and markings.  They're fine. In fact, they're wonderful.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178240239X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Paula Briggs
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|isbn=1776572858
|title=Drawing Projects for Children
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|title=How Do You Make a Baby?
 +
|author=Anna Fiske and Don Bartlett (translator)
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Crafts
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|genre=Home and Family
|summary=''Drawing Projects for Children'' is a beautiful, full-colour guide that encourages children to use a range of materials to create stunning and thought-provoking artwork. As the author points out, the end result is not always as important as the journey and this book helps children to move away from the more traditional, or 'safe' type of drawing styles and indulge in a little more experimentation and risk taking. The book is ideal for parents to use with their children, but each chapter is a self-contained lesson plan that facilitators and teachers can use with groups.
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|summary=It's more than sixty years since I asked how babies were made.  My mother was deeply embarrassed and told me that she'd get me a book about it.  A couple of days later I was handed a pamphlet (which delivered nothing more than the basics, in clinical language which had never been used in our house before)  and I was told that it wouldn't be discussed any further as it ''wasn't something which nice people talked about''.  I ''knew'' more, but was little ''wiser''. Thankfully, times have changed.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908966742</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Anna Kovecses
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|isbn=1526362759
|title=One Thousand Things
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|title=Dosh: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It
 +
|author=Rashmi Sirdeshpande
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=When you are just short of two years old there’s a whole lifetime of learning ahead. Where to begin? Well, you could do a lot worse than get Mum or Dad to buy a copy of Anna Kovecses’ ''One Thousand Things''. Don’t believe the mouse on the front cover holding a balloon saying ''learn your first words''. To bill this book as a ‘vocabulary builder’ is to woefully underplay its hand. Study hard and this book will see you safely through nursery and in to reception as an assured four year old who can hold their own in the cut and thrust of classroom debate.
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|summary=What a relief!  A book about money, for children, with clear explanations of what it is, why it matters, how to acquire more of it (nope - robbing banks is out) and what you can do with it when you've managed to get hold of it.  Your reasons for wanting money don't matter: we all need it to some extent.  You might want to go into business, be a clever shopper, a saver (you might even become an ''investor'') and there might be something you really, ''really'' want to buy. There's also the possibility of using to do good in the world.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806074</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Carron Brown and Bee Johnson
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|isbn=178112938X
|title=On the Train
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|title=Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission
|rating=4
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|author=David Long and Stefano Tambellini (illustrator)
|genre=For Sharing
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|rating=5
|summary=There’s nothing me and the little ‘un like more than a good transport themed book. Tractors remain top of my toddler’s pops but trains run a close second. One glimpse of the cover of ''On the Train'' and his little feet did the happy dance. He hunkered down and the journey began.
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|genre=Dyslexia Friendly
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178240242X</amazonuk>
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|summary=It's fifty years since the Apollo 13 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, but the story of that journey remains one of the greatest survival stories of all time.  ''Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission'' is a brilliant retelling of what happened.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Aino-Maija Metsola
+
|author=Kathleen Boucher and Sara Chadwick
|title=Colours
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|title=Nine Ways to Empower Tweens
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Lift the flaps books are very popular in my house, though I seldom use that term to describe them. Rip the flaps is more apt. I imagine fellow parents reading this review will wince and nod at this point whilst librarians will perspire and reach reflexively for the sellotape. 'Colours' by Aino-Maija Metsola is a lift the flaps book for the very young. As the title suggests, this edition aims to teach the concept of colour with the added spice of extra pictures hidden behind flaps.
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|summary=''9 Ways to Empower Tweens'' is a self-help book for tweens, setting out to show them vital #lifeskills. Don't groan! I know there is a market glut of such books for we grown-ups and for young adults too, but there is a needful space in an increasingly technological world accessible to younger and younger children for material for tweens too.  
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806090</amazonuk>
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|isbn= 0228818826
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Frontpage
 +
|isbn=1609809173
 +
|title=Eiffel's Tower for Young People
 +
|author=Jill Jonnes
 +
|rating=5
 +
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 +
|summary=Brash and elegant, sophisticated, controversial and vibrant, the 1889 World's Fair in Paris encompassed the best, the worst and the beautiful from many countries and cultures. The French Republic laid out model villages from all their colonies, put on art shows, dance performances, food festivals and concerts to stun the senses. And towering above it all, the most popular and the most hated monument to French accomplishment and daring – the Eiffel Tower.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Lincoln Peirce
+
|isbn=1848576536
|title=Big Nate: Laugh-O-Rama (Big Nate Activity Book 4)
+
|title=Humanatomy: How the Body Works
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Nicola Edwards and Jem Maybank
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=This seems to be a firmly established publishing practise now – the enhanced readership experience offered to fans of a franchise by a tie-in activity book. This is yet another example – looking like a genuine entry in an on-going series, it instead offers the fan of the characters the chance to interact with them in new ways, as well as looking back through the shelves of their collection, and inwardly as well, at their own thoughts and tastes.  Note I say it's for a fan – this example will alienate anyone else from the first page – but for the right audience it’s generally a good thing. And in this instance it's a very, very good thing indeed.
+
|summary=''Get under your own skin, pick your brains, and go inside your insides!''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007569076</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
That's what ''Humanatomy'' invites you to do and honestly, I don't see how you could resist. This informative book provides a wonderful primer about the human body to curious children- from the skeletal system to the muscular system via circulation, respiration and digestion, right up to the DNA that makes who we are.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
+
|isbn=Langford_Emily
|title=Wild Adventures
+
|title=Emily's Numbers
 +
|author=Joss Langford
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=When I was growing up, TV only had four channels and games consoles came in the form of the rubber keyed ZX Spectrum. Despite these meagre offerings, we would still spend endless summer hours in the sitting room if our parents had not thrown us outside. In 2015, there are far more TV channels to watch and games come in high fidelity, what chance does nature have against ‘Call of Duty’? You would be surprised, as despite all the creature comforts of the front room, children still want to play outside, all they have to be - is inspired.
+
|summary=Emily found words ''useful'', but counting was what she loved best.  Obviously, you can count anything and there's no limit to how far you can go, but then Emily moved a step further and began counting in twos.  She knew all about odd and even numbers.  Then she began counting in threes: half of the list were even numbers, but the other half was odd and it was this list of odd numbers which occurred when you counted in threes which she called ''threeven''.  (Actually, this confused me a little bit at first as they're a subset of the odd numbers but sound as though they ought to be a subset of the even numbers, but it all worked out well when I really thought about it.)
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847804365</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Adrienne Barman
+
|isbn=Buckingham_Dawn
|title=Creaturepedia
+
|title=The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus
|rating=4
+
|author=Caz Buckingham and Andrea Pinnington
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Animals and Wildlife
 
|genre=Animals and Wildlife
|summary=''Creaturepedia'' welcomes young readers to the greatest show on earth, showcasing more than 600 different creatures within its pages. Rather than listing the animals in traditional alphabetical order, this book groups creatures according to a variety of criteria, including colour, habits and outstanding physical characteristics. Of course, there is a handy index at the end to keep the traditionalists happy too. There are a few unusual categories thrown in, such as mythical beats and extinct animals, as well as endangered species that sadly, may become extinct very soon
+
|summary=What a treat!  I really did mean to just ''glance'' at ''The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus'' but the pull of the sounds of a dozen different birds singing their hearts out was far too much to resist on a cold and rather wet February morning. I spent an indulgent hour or so reading all about the birds and listening to their song. Then - just because I could - I went back and did it all again and it was just as good the second time around.  So, what do you get?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806341</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Anna Weltman
+
|isbn=Pankhurst_Women
|title=This is Not a Maths Book
+
|title=Fantastically Great Women Who Made History
 +
|author=Kate Pankhurst
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Art
+
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of maths at school. Maybe if I'd had this book when I was a child, I would have been. 'This is not a Maths Book' cleverly bridges the gap between maths and art and teaches kids how to make beautiful patterns and shapes by using mathematical principles. We learn about parabolic curves, Pascal's triangle, the stomachion, tesselation and 3D drawings. Because the pages are interactive and hands-on, kids are learning the rules of maths without realising it. After all, there is no reason why maths shouldn't be fun!
+
|summary=A lot of history is about men. Kings and generals and inventors and politicians. Sometimes, it feels almost as though there were no women in history at all, let alone ones young girls might like to read about or regard as role models. Of course, this isn't true and there are plenty of women who, throughout history, have achieved amazing things or shown incredible bravery, or created something never seen before. So here, in this wonderful picture book from Kate Pankhurst, are the stories of some of them.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402055</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham
+
|isbn=Ignotofsky_Sport
|title=The Little Book of Garden Bird Song
+
|title=Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win
 +
|author=Rachel Ignotofsky
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Take a well-put-together board book (don't worry about it being a board book - no one is going to suggest that they're a bit too old for that), add exquisite pictures of a dozen birds - one on each double-page spread - and then fill in the details. You'll need the name of the bird in English and Latin and a description of the bird in words which a child can understand but which won't patronise an adult.  Then you'll need details of where the bird is found, what it eats, where it nests, how many eggs it lays, how the male and female adults differ and their size.  Then you need a 'Did you know?' fact and this needs to be something which will interest children, but which adults might not know either.  Does it sound simple?  Well it isn't, but 'The Little Book of Garden Bird Song' does it perfectly.  And there's a bonus, but I'll tell you about that in a moment.
+
|summary=''Women in Sport'' is coming to us just before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February 2018. It celebrates a century and a half of the development of women's sport by looking at fifty of its highest achievers, covering sports as diverse as swimming, fencing, riding, skating, and much more. Think of a sport and a pioneering woman succeeding at it is probably in this book somewhere. Each entry is a double-page spread with a brief biography and a striking portrait.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908489251</amazonuk>
+
}}
 +
{{Frontpage
 +
|isbn=Rooney_Dino
 +
|title=Discovering Dinosaurs
 +
|author=Anne Rooney and Suzanne Carpenter
 +
|rating=4
 +
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 +
|summary=Lift the flap books have progressed somewhat since I was a child. This one comes with sounds! Taking us layer by layer, through various different ages of dinosaurs, we meet a variety of creatures, some of whom are very familiar but some I'd never heard of before! Each scene peels open, layer by layer, showing you what the various dinosaurs are getting up to, with background noises, roars and squawks to accompany them! The book creates a dinosaur experience, rather than just being facts about dinosaurs it's very visual, placing the dinosaurs in their habitats and giving us sounds too that spike your imagination.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
+
|isbn=Mason_poo
|title=Viking Longship
+
|title=The Poo That Animals Do
|rating=3.5
+
|author=Paul Mason and Tony de Saulles
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=''Fly on the Wall'' is a new series of history books by award-winning duo Manning and Granström, which aim to bring history to life for young readers. ''Viking Longship'' is the story of Grimm, a Viking warrior who buys a broken ship called the Sea Dragon and fixes it up to set sail in search of pastures new. The story follows  Grimm's progress as he invades England with his band of warriors and then creates a farm settlement where his family can live in peace. The book touches on various aspects of Viking life before coming full circle when the settlement is raided by Saxons, culminating in a Viking funeral and a final image of the longboat in flames.
+
|summary=I know, I know, sometimes you really don't want to encourage your children's poo jokes, but this book is brilliant! I sat and read it by myself when the kids had gone to school and found it fascinating! Who knew there was so much I didn't know about poo? The book manages to be both funny (and silly) as well as being very interesting and educational. Using a mixture of facts and figures, photographs and funny cartoons, you come away having sniggered a little at the vulture who poos on its own feet but also knowing a lot about different types of poo, why poos smell, and why wombats do square poos.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806244</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
Move on to [[Newest Children's Rhymes and Verse Reviews]]

Latest revision as of 13:29, 9 September 2023

1839948493.jpg

Review of

A World of Dogs by Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

In the interests of full disclosure, I must tell you that I'm a sucker for dogs. In nearly eight decades, I've never met one I didn't trust and I've loved most of them. I wish I felt the same about human beings. So, any book about dogs, I'm going to sit down and devour. Then I'm going to go back and read it properly. And so it was with A World of Dogs, with ninety-six pages devoted entirely to my four-legged friends. Author Carlie Sorosiak found herself the accidental owner of an American Dingo - she's learned quite a lot about dogs since then. Full Review

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Review of

The Repair Shop Craft Book by Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I love The Repair Shop. It's my go-to programme when I want to be cheered up. After a hard day, there's nothing better than watching experts repair treasured items without ever mentioning what they're worth. You see, the value is in what these possessions are worth to the people who own them and the memories they hold. No expense appears to be spared and the experts spend as much time and effort as is required to achieve the desired result. Regular viewers know the experts and they're all brilliant at explaining what it is they're doing. But how did they start? Full Review

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Review of

Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to be there in the first place. Looking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's Stolen History. Full Review

024156574X.jpg

Review of

Fritz and Kurt by Jeremy Dronfield and David Ziggy Greene

4star.jpg Confident Readers

We start with the pair of brothers Fritz and Kurt, and their muckers, doing things any Jewish lad in 1930s Vienna would want to do – kicking things around the empty market place, helping the neighbours, being dutiful when it comes to the synagogue choir and at a vocational school. Kurt has to make sure the lamps are turned on at their very Orthodox neighbours' each Friday night – the Sabbath preventing them for using anything nearly as mechanical and workmanlike as a light switch. But this is the time just before the Austrian leader is going to cave to Hitler's will, and instead of having a national vote to keep the Nazis out, invite them in with open arms. Kristallnacht happened in Vienna just as much as in Germany, as did all the round-ups of Jews. These in their turn leave the younger Kurt at home with his mother and sisters anxious to hear word of an evacuation to Britain or the US, while Fritz and his father are, unknown initially to each other, packed off on the same train to Buchenwald and the stone quarry there. And us wondering how the titular event for the adult variant of all this could come about… Full Review

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Review of

Britannica's Word of the Day by Patrick Kelly, Renee Kelly and Sue Macy

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Britannica's Word of the Day has a sub-title: 366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus which probably tells you all that you need to know about this brilliant book. It starts on January 1st with Razzmatazz, tells you how to pronounce it (raz-muh-TAZ), gives you a definition and then includes the word in a sentence so that you know how it should be used. You also get an engaging and frequently amusing illustration too. I don't think I've ever encountered a word which uses the letter Z four times before! Full Review

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Review of

The Secret Life of Birds by Moira Butterfield and Vivian Mineker (illustrator)

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I have recently discovered a great pleasure: I sit and watch the vast numbers of birds which visit our garden on a daily basis. An hour can pass without my noticing. I've established which species feed from the ground, which pop to the feeders for a quick snatch of some food and who settles in for a good munch but I wish I was more knowledgeable. It would have been wonderful if, as a child, I'd had access to a book such as The Secret Life of Birds. So – what is it? Full Review

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Review of

Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: The Invisible World of Germs by Isabel Thomas

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

'Germs' seems to have become a catch-all word to cover anything unpleasant which has the potential to make you ill. In the first book in what looks to be a very promising new series, OUP and Isabel Thomas have provided a clear and accessible introduction to the world of germs. We get an informed look at how people originally thought about diseases and what they thought caused them and how the thinking has developed over time. The vocabulary can be confusing but Thomas gives a regular box headed 'speak like a scientist' which explains some of the trickiest concepts and you'll soon be familiar with bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses – and how we should protect ourselves. Full Review

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Review of

100 Ways in 100 Days to Teach Your Baby Maths: Support All Areas of Your Baby’s Development by Nurturing a Love of Maths by Emma Smith

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Babies seem to be born with an amazing number sense: understanding shapes in the womb, being aware of quantities at seven hours old, assessing probability at six months old, and comprehending addition and subtraction at nine months old.

Did you know this? I didn't! How about:

Maths ability on entry to school is a strong predictor of later achievement, double that of literacy skills.

I didn't know this either! I think most parents are aware that giving your children a good start in literacy - reading stories, teaching pen grips, singing rhymes - gives children a solid foundation when they start school. But do we think the same way about maths, beyond counting? I don't think we do, in part because so many of us are afraid of maths. But why are we? Most of us use maths in daily life without realising and it follows that giving our children a similar pre-school grounding will be just as beneficial. Full Review

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Review of

The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Super-Charges Your Teenage Brain by Nicola Morgan

5star.jpg Teens

2020 has been a strange year: I doubt anyone would argue with that statement. Lots of our routines have been completely dismantled and for some teenagers this will have brought about sleep problems. Some teens will dismiss this as irrelevant ('who needs sleep? - I've got loads to be doing) and others will worry unnecessarily. Most people, from children to adults will have the odd bad night but worrying about your lack of sleep is only likely to make it worse. And there's also the fact that for far too long, lack of sleep has been lauded as a virtue and sleep made to seem like laziness. Being up early, working late has been praised and the ability to survive on little sleep has almost become something to put on your CV. Full Review

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Review of

Count on Me by Miguel Tanco

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

The title and format of this book might lead you to think that it's either about responsibility - or it's a basic 1-2-3 book for those just starting out on the numbers journey. It isn't: it's a hymn of praise to maths. It's about why maths is so wonderful and how you meet it in everyday life. Full Review

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Review of

It Isn't Rude to be Nude by Rosie Haine

5star.jpg For Sharing

This could have been one of those books which 'preaches to the choir': the only people who'll buy it are the people who know that nudity is OK and the ones who know that it's shameful will avoid it like they avoid the hot-and-bothered person in the supermarket who is coughing fit to bust. But... Rosie Haines makes it into something so much more than a book about not wearing clothes. It's a celebration of bodies: bodies large and small and of every possible hue. Bodies with disabilities and markings. They're fine. In fact, they're wonderful. Full Review

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Review of

How Do You Make a Baby? by Anna Fiske and Don Bartlett (translator)

5star.jpg Home and Family

It's more than sixty years since I asked how babies were made. My mother was deeply embarrassed and told me that she'd get me a book about it. A couple of days later I was handed a pamphlet (which delivered nothing more than the basics, in clinical language which had never been used in our house before) and I was told that it wouldn't be discussed any further as it wasn't something which nice people talked about. I knew more, but was little wiser. Thankfully, times have changed. Full Review

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Review of

Dosh: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It by Rashmi Sirdeshpande

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

What a relief! A book about money, for children, with clear explanations of what it is, why it matters, how to acquire more of it (nope - robbing banks is out) and what you can do with it when you've managed to get hold of it. Your reasons for wanting money don't matter: we all need it to some extent. You might want to go into business, be a clever shopper, a saver (you might even become an investor) and there might be something you really, really want to buy. There's also the possibility of using to do good in the world. Full Review

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Review of

Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission by David Long and Stefano Tambellini (illustrator)

5star.jpg Dyslexia Friendly

It's fifty years since the Apollo 13 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, but the story of that journey remains one of the greatest survival stories of all time. Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission is a brilliant retelling of what happened. Full Review

0228818826.jpg

Review of

Nine Ways to Empower Tweens by Kathleen Boucher and Sara Chadwick

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

9 Ways to Empower Tweens is a self-help book for tweens, setting out to show them vital #lifeskills. Don't groan! I know there is a market glut of such books for we grown-ups and for young adults too, but there is a needful space in an increasingly technological world accessible to younger and younger children for material for tweens too. Full Review

1609809173.jpg

Review of

Eiffel's Tower for Young People by Jill Jonnes

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Brash and elegant, sophisticated, controversial and vibrant, the 1889 World's Fair in Paris encompassed the best, the worst and the beautiful from many countries and cultures. The French Republic laid out model villages from all their colonies, put on art shows, dance performances, food festivals and concerts to stun the senses. And towering above it all, the most popular and the most hated monument to French accomplishment and daring – the Eiffel Tower. Full Review

1848576536.jpg

Review of

Humanatomy: How the Body Works by Nicola Edwards and Jem Maybank

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Get under your own skin, pick your brains, and go inside your insides!

That's what Humanatomy invites you to do and honestly, I don't see how you could resist. This informative book provides a wonderful primer about the human body to curious children- from the skeletal system to the muscular system via circulation, respiration and digestion, right up to the DNA that makes who we are. Full Review

Langford Emily.jpg

Review of

Emily's Numbers by Joss Langford

4star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Emily found words useful, but counting was what she loved best. Obviously, you can count anything and there's no limit to how far you can go, but then Emily moved a step further and began counting in twos. She knew all about odd and even numbers. Then she began counting in threes: half of the list were even numbers, but the other half was odd and it was this list of odd numbers which occurred when you counted in threes which she called threeven. (Actually, this confused me a little bit at first as they're a subset of the odd numbers but sound as though they ought to be a subset of the even numbers, but it all worked out well when I really thought about it.) Full Review

Buckingham Dawn.jpg

Review of

The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus by Caz Buckingham and Andrea Pinnington

5star.jpg Animals and Wildlife

What a treat! I really did mean to just glance at The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus but the pull of the sounds of a dozen different birds singing their hearts out was far too much to resist on a cold and rather wet February morning. I spent an indulgent hour or so reading all about the birds and listening to their song. Then - just because I could - I went back and did it all again and it was just as good the second time around. So, what do you get? Full Review

Pankhurst Women.jpg

Review of

Fantastically Great Women Who Made History by Kate Pankhurst

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

A lot of history is about men. Kings and generals and inventors and politicians. Sometimes, it feels almost as though there were no women in history at all, let alone ones young girls might like to read about or regard as role models. Of course, this isn't true and there are plenty of women who, throughout history, have achieved amazing things or shown incredible bravery, or created something never seen before. So here, in this wonderful picture book from Kate Pankhurst, are the stories of some of them. Full Review

Ignotofsky Sport.jpg

Review of

Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Women in Sport is coming to us just before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February 2018. It celebrates a century and a half of the development of women's sport by looking at fifty of its highest achievers, covering sports as diverse as swimming, fencing, riding, skating, and much more. Think of a sport and a pioneering woman succeeding at it is probably in this book somewhere. Each entry is a double-page spread with a brief biography and a striking portrait. Full Review

Rooney Dino.jpg

Review of

Discovering Dinosaurs by Anne Rooney and Suzanne Carpenter

4star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Lift the flap books have progressed somewhat since I was a child. This one comes with sounds! Taking us layer by layer, through various different ages of dinosaurs, we meet a variety of creatures, some of whom are very familiar but some I'd never heard of before! Each scene peels open, layer by layer, showing you what the various dinosaurs are getting up to, with background noises, roars and squawks to accompany them! The book creates a dinosaur experience, rather than just being facts about dinosaurs it's very visual, placing the dinosaurs in their habitats and giving us sounds too that spike your imagination. Full Review

Mason poo.jpg

Review of

The Poo That Animals Do by Paul Mason and Tony de Saulles

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I know, I know, sometimes you really don't want to encourage your children's poo jokes, but this book is brilliant! I sat and read it by myself when the kids had gone to school and found it fascinating! Who knew there was so much I didn't know about poo? The book manages to be both funny (and silly) as well as being very interesting and educational. Using a mixture of facts and figures, photographs and funny cartoons, you come away having sniggered a little at the vulture who poos on its own feet but also knowing a lot about different types of poo, why poos smell, and why wombats do square poos. Full Review

Move on to Newest Children's Rhymes and Verse Reviews